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British athletes are on course for their best Olympic performance since 1920 at this summer’s Beijing Games, according to UK Sport.

The organisation, which distributes Lottery funding to elite sport, has set a target of eighth place in the medals table at Beijing – two places better than in Athens.

John Steele, chief executive of UK Sport, said: “Beijing has the potential to be a memorable Games for Team GB’s athletes. While recent injuries and withdrawals have highlighted just how risky and uncertain top-level sport can be, we believe there is every reason to be confident that medal success will be achieved.”

He added: “That would be a great result – the targets are ambitious and reaching them would be the best boycott-free medal performance by Britain for nearly a hundred years.

“Crucially they will also show whether we are on track towards our ultimate goals for London 2012.”

The target translates to around 35 medals and 10 to 12 golds – and that would mean the best medal performance by a British team at an unboycotted Games since 1920.

Steele was speaking at UK Sport’s latest ‘Mission 2012’ briefing, which aims to show how sports are progressing towards their target at the London 2012 Olympics where Britain has been set a target of fourth place in the medal table.

Britain’s Paralympic team has been set the target of holding on to the second place in the table achieved in both Sydney and Athens, with host nation China expected to come top.